Jesper Fast 2023-24 Exit Interview The Carolina Hurricanes have announced that forward Jesper Fast is not expected to play this season following neck surgery. Fast, who was injured in the Canes' final regular season game, had surgery on Aug. 6. It's an extremely tough blow for Fast who didn't even have a chance to play in the playoffs last year after being injured in the second period in the final regular season game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The injury first occurred when Blue Jackets defenseman Erik Gudbranson crosschecked Fast in the small of the back, causing the winger to loose his balance and crash back-first into the end boards. The Swedish winger has been a defensive stalwart for the Hurricanes for years now on a shutdown line with Jordan Staal and Jordan Martinook. He even chips in steadily offensively too (six goals and 19 points in 73 games last season) and led the team in playoff scoring in 2023. Fast, 32, is heading into the final year of a two-year, $2.4 million AAV deal. The Hurricanes have enough cap space still to sign RFA winger Seth Jarvis and to keep Fast off of LTIR so that they can still accrue cap space for the trade deadline. But if Fast does indeed not play at all this season, that means we potentially could have seen the last of him in a Hurricanes sweater.
